


This Life

by YoiteMichealis



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Healing, Injury, M/M, Masturbation, Red String of Fate, Soulmates, blowjob, sad ghirahim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 12:41:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15630879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoiteMichealis/pseuds/YoiteMichealis
Summary: Ghirahim and Link are soulmates, and Ghirahim realises this before he relises that they're on opposite sides of the war between Zelda and Demise.Alternatively: Ghirahim is sweet, enamored, and sad. Link is very pretty but confused and not ready to be the hero of legend.





	This Life

**Author's Note:**

> I ahven't written fanfiction in over five years and that was on fanfic.net so rip. But, I wanted to dedicate this one to all the other writers in the Ghiralink fandom. This ship means a lot to me and there's just not enough wholesome work for these two. Thank you for reading and thank you for keeping this fandom alive.
> 
> Edit: I cleaned this up so it's a little neater and easier to understand (my writing is a mess most of the time).

 Ghirahim was excited. Ecstatic even.

 It wasn’t very often that creatures more intelligent than Bokoblins came to visit him. Even when they did, they weren’t _cute._ But the young man he had been watching for the last twenty minutes had hair that shone in the sun like gold thread and eyes that were the same sapphire blue as deep, clear pools of pure water.  He had soft cheeks but Ghirahim could tell that the arms that were partially concealed by his tunic were toned and strong. His skin was sun-kissed, and he was a full foot shorter than Ghirahim. Adorable! Ghriahim wanted to keep this beautiful boy. He wanted to pick him up and spin him around. _And,_ he seemed intelligent.

At least Ghirahim was hopeful he was intelligent. The demon lord was having concerns about the mental state of this intruder; the blond boy kept starting whenever he encountered a Kikwi. It was like he’d never seen them before! The Kikwis were shy, so Ghirahim wasn’t surprised that sunshine-boy hadn’t seen one before, but he acted the same way about the giant mushrooms that were _everywhere_ in Faron woods, and Bokoblins, and bees! I mean, who hasn’t seen bees before?

However, Ghirahim was willing to forgive this sunshine-boy even if he did come from under a rock. That would explain why the demon lord had never seen him before. At first, he was only watching the blond because he was intruding in Ghirahim’s woods. He had been on high alert all day after attempting to capture the spirit maiden. But, he had decided that taking a quick break from trying to revive his master wouldn’t do any harm in the long run.

The reason for his (definitely temporary and security related) distraction was the tug in his chest when Ghirahim saw the huge smile on sunshine-boy’s face.  He had picked up one of the Kikwi’s and his face had lit up with delight, leaving the demon-lord uncharacteristically breathless. Ghirahim hated the Kikwis. Whenever he was anywhere near them they would freak out and screech in fear. And their voices were infuriating. But they liked sunshine-boy. Ghirahim could see why; the smile that the young man gave them was warm and sweet like the sweetest summer peach, and Ghirahim was immediately enamored. In fact, the demon lord felt that this sudden infatuation with this radiant boy wasn’t purely appearance-based. The tug he felt in his heart when he saw those beautiful blue eyes made him question something he’d believed for most of his life.

Ghirahim had been extremely powerful even as a very young demon, and, due to his powers, he could see magical bonds like threads between beings. Most of the bonds he saw in the demon realm were between master and servant, like the black thread that always pointed back towards his dormant master. Some other soul bonds between demons were for mutual protection, and these always appeared pale blue in color. But the ones that fascinated Ghirahim as a young demon were the involuntary threads, the red ones. These threads meant that two beings completed each other and were predestined to fall in love. Ghirahim had seen these red threads before when he had lived in the demon realm, and they had fascinated him. However, Ghirahim was already more than thirteen-hundred years old – still young for a demon he’d assure you – and he hadn’t seen his own red thread.

Not everyone had a soulmate, it was actually more common to choose partners than to be destined for each other. The demon lord was almost sure that he was one of the majority that didn’t have a soulmate. While he was too proud to let this slip to any living being, Ghirahim longed for warmth. He needed attention like a starving man needed food. Ghirahim had bound himself to Demise because he wanted to be loved, to be needed. He was prepared to give his whole life up for the glimpses of affection and praise that his master would give him when he had done well. The demon lord had settled for rough, painful sex to satisfy his needs.

But this? This was different. The reason Ghirahim was so ecstatic to see said sunshine-boy was that every time bed-head sunshine-boy smiled, he saw red. The first time he wasn’t sure, maybe it was a trick of the light or his imagination. But soon it was clear as day; a red thread of magic shining through the trees between Ghirahim’s hiding place in the forest canopy to where sunshine-boy was standing in a clearing. Ghirahim was so excited to meet this man.

It wasn’t the best time, with the kidnapping of the spirit maiden and all, but that was fine. He had been waiting his entire life after all. The demon lord wanted to woo this sunshine boy. He would give his soulmate anything he wanted. Ghirahim imagined gently kissing that supple, sun-kissed skin, running his fingers through golden hair. Ghirahim just hoped that his appearance wasn’t too disorganized – there _had_ been quite a bit of excitement today after all.  And his house! Ghirahim hadn’t been home in days! What if he took his new soulmate home, what would he think? Demise had always treated his sword like an afterthought at best, and he worried that this golden man would find him repulsive.

Ghirahim was suddenly startled out of his anxious musing by – a woman’s voice? He wasn’t mistaken. a blue and purple cloaked woman was explaining some irrelevant ruins to the sunshine-boy. He seemed bored, but he did seem to be listening to the woman. This colorful woman was dressed in flowing clothing, much to Ghirahim’s approval. And she seemed to be floating, which was weird. Her voice was like the tinkling of wind chimes in a soft breeze.

 “Master, if you want to return to the sky before you enter the temple, just strike this bird statue. There is an 85% chance that you will encounter more monsters similar to the ones in the woods before reaching Zelda.”

_Who’s Zelda?_

It took Ghirahim a few seconds to process what the strange floating woman had said, but then he froze in horror. Sunshine-boy was from the sky. Suddenly Ghirahim took in some of his soulmate’s finer features; he had pointed ears, and a green tunic over fine chainmail – they didn’t have metalwork like that on the surface.

 Ghirahim’s soulmate really had appeared out of nowhere; he came from the sky! A sky child!

But this realization wasn’t what caused Ghirahim’s heart to drop in his chest and the blood to drain from his already pale face. The reason this sky child had graced his woods was the spirit maiden, probably this “Zelda” floaty-blue-woman had mentioned. Ghirahim felt crushed. The man he was destined to love was the goddess’s own hero. This sky child was fated to either stop him from reviving his master or die trying. Ghirahim risked punishment by death if he disobeyed his master. Even with Demise subdued by the goddesses’ seal, Ghirahim could feel that black thread of their bond tugging on his mind, encouraging him to kill the man he was just admiring.

Ghirahim teleported away, cursing. He was furious and devastated. He didn’t want to kill this adorable addition to his realm. He wanted to protect this boy, nurture him, fall in love with him. He didn’t even know who to curse; the goddess had every reason to want him to suffer. He didn’t curse his master because demise was all he had; he was still loyal to his master. Even if Demise was often cruel before he had been sealed away.

 His sunshine-boy was just like him – powerless in the face of destiny. They were bound in another way: they were destined to meet in battle. So Ghirahim cursed fate, he cursed the sun for illuminating the sky child’s golden hair, he cursed this damn forest, he cursed the fact that even powerful magic couldn’t break the soul bond, and he cursed the tears that remained unfallen in the corners of his eyes. Maybe in another life they would have had the perfect romance, but in this life, it was impossible.  

_Well, now I know I’ll see him again at least…_

* * *

 

Link had heard an unexpected chime in front of the Skyview temple while talking to Fi, but he assumed either he was imagining it, or it had come from Fi as she advised him to return to the sky. Regardless, strange noises in a forest he _didn’t even know existed_ before today was low on his list of concerns.

Link was worried sick about his best friend. Zelda had never been helpless, but she was smaller than Link. If he was having trouble with the bokoblins, Link didn’t want to imagine what they would do to her. Despite his fear for Zelda’s life, he decided to take Fi’s advice and return to the sky. He couldn’t save Zelda if he was dead, and he was running out of potions.

Link was relieved when his loftwing scooped him out of the clouds. The bird had proved a good friend when Link was growing up, and he took comfort now by burying his face in the soft crimson feathers on his bird’s neck. Link realized that he hadn’t had time to catch his breath all day.

Honestly, he was terrified. Link had never actually fought anything other than a practice dummy and his classmates in knight school before today. The bokoblins seemed stupid but they were still formidable opponents, especially in large numbers. Link tried to bury his fears as he flew towards sky loft.

Once Link returned to the surface, he breezed through the first part of the temple pretty easily, only slightly terrified of the giant spiders that gnashed their jaws at him. Stalfos, a giant animated skeleton, almost beat link; it’s two swords much more versatile than Link’s one. Panting, Link wiped some blood off his cheek and drank the contents of one of his bottles. He felt better immediately but remained apprehensive because that was his last potion.  Link shook off his fear and continued into the temple, collecting a weird gold beetle-thing on the way.

When Link opened the door with the golden boss key, the first thing he noticed was the enormous sun mosaic set into the floor. The second thing was the dagger that whistled by his face. There was a tall, pale man in front of him. He could see that he had interrupted the man’s efforts to open the door to the next chamber, but the way he adjusted his hair told Link that he was not concerned. It seemed like he had thrown the knife without even looking back – a power move. As much as Link would have liked to say it didn’t work on him, it did. Link was fascinated, transfixed by the aura of magic around the man; it seemed to pulse brightest at the center of the man’s chest, right in the middle of the diamond cut-out in his white jumpsuit.

 “Look who it is…” The mysterious man turned around, his voice cold and dismissive. When their eyes met, Link felt a tug on his heart, but he wasn’t sure why.

The man’s appearance was flamboyant, and his posture arrogant, yet Link still felt himself drawn to the strange figure.

“I can sense the girl just behind this door, so you are not of importance at the moment, sky child.”

The diamond clad man turned back to the door, as if to prove to Link that he didn’t care about his presence. The girl? Link wondered. Zelda?

 “Who are you?” Link demanded angrily, forcing himself to focus on the task of rescuing his best friend.

“My name is Ghirahim, Lord Ghirahim – but I’m not so picky. And before you ask, it was me who plucked Her Majesty from her perch in the clouds.”

Link felt a wave of anger wash over him. So, it was this Ghirahim who had taken Zelda. Link drew his sword, his expression darkening. Still Ghirahim wouldn’t even look at him. Furthermore, when the demon heard the slither of steel he began to laugh.

 “Oh, but you’re just a child from the sky! And we already should have Zelda, but that Sheikah woman got in my way.”

Ghirahim finally turned around to face Link, and the hero stepped back. Ghirahim had a dangerous glint in his eyes.

 “And you know how that makes me feel? Furious!” Ghirahim disappeared in a furry of diamonds. As Link frantically looked around he felt a blade at his throat. “Outraged!” Link’s breath caught in his throat as Ghirahim’s whispered in his ear. “Sick with anger.”

In truth the spirit maiden’s escape wasn’t entirely why Ghirahim was so angry today. Most of his anger actually came from his earlier realization of the sky child’s identity. Even so, it wasn’t fair to take all of his anger out on the blond man, it wasn’t his fault that the fates had cursed them. Even so, as the red thread between them drifted into his view, he couldn’t help the desire to rough up this beauty from the clouds.

“You know, normally I would kill anyone who got in my way. But I think today I’ll just beat you within an inch of your life!”

With this he gave the hero’s shoulder a squeeze and licked his face, just to see what reaction he’d get. Link recoiled and jumped back into a fighting stance, which delighted Ghirahim. This sky child was feisty and seemed to know his way around a blade! Now that was hot. The demon lord chuckled to himself before dismissing his beloved cloak and summoning his blade.

All too soon Ghirahim was in his face with a flurry of blows, Link struggling to keep up his blocks, far too overwhelmed to even think about attacking the man in front of him. Ghirahim was taller than him, his lithe body twisting every which way as he reigned wave after wave of attacks on Link’s terrified frame. Despite the demon lord’s previous proclamations of outrage, there wasn’t any anger in his eyes anymore. In fact, the pale skinned man seemed to be growing more animated and his eyes less guarded as they continued to battle.

Eventually, after a particularly vicious series of attacks, Link saw an opening in Ghirahim’s stance as he regained his balance after his last thrust, and he took it. Link’s sword sliced across Ghirahim’s shoulder, temporarily stunning him as he let out a cry of pain. Link went in for a second blow, but the demon lord teleported to the other side of the room.

He was laughing? Link was perplexed. Just what was wrong with this guy? Was he a lunatic?

“Well done, sky child.” Ghirahim purred before he summoned a second blade.

 Link barely had time to think before the onslaught of attacks began anew. The hero didn’t know how much time had passed but he felt himself beginning to weaken. The taller man seemed to never tire. Both of them had sustained numerous small injuries, the worst of Link’s being a large vertical gash up his left thigh. Link began to fear for his own life as he felt his mobility with that leg diminish. In that moment he realized that this self-proclaimed lord was much more powerful than he was.

Link was only strong enough to starve off his attacks for so long; soon, he would be too injured and exhausted to prevent Ghirahim from killing him. Ghirahim had the same realization when he noticed Link stagger under the force of a blow to his worn wooden shield. His body sang in victory as his master’s bond encouraged him to kill the goddess child. It would be so easy. It would make his task of resurrecting his master so much easier. Ghirahim was clearly much more skilled than the sky child.

But when Ghirahim looked into Link’s eyes, they glared back in determination, and Ghirahim’s heart fluttered at the sight. Ghirahim didn’t want to kill him. The joy the lord felt clashing with his enemy in battle wasn’t just adrenaline, Ghirahim wanted to meet this boy again. He wanted to fight him again. Their combat in the temple felt like a lovers’ dance, fluid and sensual and invigorating.

Ghirahim made his decision and began to adjust his blows so that while the sky child didn’t notice, he began to purposefully give the sky child the advantage. Surreptitiously, he threw away a fight where he was almost guaranteed victory and let his soul mate knock him to the ground. His performance was so deft that even his master, who was now watching with attention from their bond, wouldn’t be able to tell that he had thrown the duel. Some deep part of him, buried behind walls of arrogance and narcissism, wished that one day the sky child would be strong enough to be equals with the demon lord.

Ghirahim picked himself off of the floor and Link, panting, readied his sword again. He knew the man in front of him was too powerful of an opponent, but he was determined to go down fighting. But, to his surprise, the demon lord surrendered.

 “The girl’s presence has faded from this place, so there’s no reason to linger here.”

Link focused, Ghirahim was right. Zelda’s aura had vanished.

 “I feel we will meet again, we are bound by a red-thread of fate after all. But next time we clash, you won’t walk away so handsome.”

Link didn’t know what that meant, and as Ghirahim went to threaten him again, Link wasn’t listening to the words. Instead he was watching the demon lord’s face. He saw a flicker of sadness before it was carefully replaced with a cool seriousness to back up his threat.

“Goodbye, sky child.”

And then Ghirahim was gone, leaving Link feeling confused and oddly empty.

  _Just who was that? What thread of fate?_

As confused as Link was, he did feel that he and Ghirahim were linked somehow.

_Maybe we’re the same, just on opposite sides of this war._

Ghirahim returned home battered and emotional. It had been quite the day. He had gotten the spirit maiden in his clutches, had her taken from him by that dog of a woman, lied to the master who could end his life in the blink of an eye, and met the love of his life. Ghirahim thought gloomily of his worries from earlier in the day about his messy home.

_Well, I guess I should clean up anyway._

Ghirahim walked to get rid of the vase of dead wild flowers on his dining room table.

* * *

The next time Ghirahim saw his sky child he was staggering on the side of Eldin Volcano, close to an underground entrance. The blond was burned heavily, and he looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion. Something in Ghirahim’s chest hurt and for a second he had a powerful urge to whisk the sky child away from this place. As much as Link had already proved himself to truly be the hero of legend, he still smelled of pumpkin soup and sun like skyloft. Ghirahim swore under his breath at seeing Link’s hardship.

The sunshine-boy was too soft for this place.

Despite his moment of distress, Ghirahim knew that he had to act fast before the sky child lost consciousness. Wracking his brain for facts about Hylian anatomy - biology, or anything really - the demon lord scanned the area for anything that would help with the burns scattered across Link’s legs and back. Ghirahim barely registered the lack of vegetation on the mountain before he saw Link start to fall forward. Quickly, Ghirahim teleported in front of the blond boy and caught him by the shoulders. He lowered his now-unconcious sky child to the ground in the shadow of a large, well-secured boulder.

Healing the sky child’s burns with magic was not Ghirahim’s first choice – he had been hoping there were some herbs he could use to help with the wounds. Due to the type of tissue damage burns caused, they required the most magic of any wounds to heal. But the mountain was barren, and Ghirahim was scared Link would go into shock – he was very pale despite the heat and his breathing was too shallow for comfort. Even though these wounds weren’t inflicted by him, Ghirahim felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He decided he liked that beautiful face much better when it was smiling or fiercely concentrated during swordplay. Not this broken child.

Careful not to touch the blisters, Ghirahim ran his hands slowly over the worst of the injuries. Slowly, the blistered skin started to repair itself. Once he was finished, the skin was still tender and hot, but the sky child’s breathing was more even now, and the worst of the inflammation had dissipated. Part of him wanted to help more. To give sunshine-boy an opportunity for a bath and a soft bed and a full meal. But that was impossible. Ghirahim used a quick spell to fill one of the bottles he found in the sky child’s pouch with clean, cool water. As an afterthought, he also caused more heart-plants to bloom than was normal for the season, hopefully helping the goddess boy replenish himself.

As Ghirahim stood up from his crouched position next to the blond boy he heard a chiming not unlike his own. Whipping around, he saw that Fi had appeared behind him.

“What are you doing?” Her words were more confused than accusatory.

 “Don’t worry, I believe in a fair fight. I’ll only kill your master in battle.”

 Talking to the master sword was unnerving. Her aura was so pure it was like communicating with a white wall. It made him feel slightly insecure about his own chaotic emotions.

“But you didn’t kill him in battle.”

Ghirahim froze. Fi looked on at him, unblinking.

“I have not yet told my master that you spared him before. I do not believe I could make an accurate analysis yet. What are your intentions with my master?”

 “Don’t worry, master sword. My only intentions are my master’s intentions.”

With that Ghirahim snapped his fingers and teleporter away to search for the spirit maiden again, satisfied that the sky child would recover.

When her master came to Fi did not tell him why he had an extra bottle of water. Link didn’t think much of it, more amazed by how quickly his wounds had healed. The skin on his legs and back still hurt, but he felt stronger, less dizzy. Something in the air made Link feel at ease. Some kind of left over magic from a friendly spirit. Link shrugged and got up to start his quest for Zelda again, shaking off the weird feeling as his exhausted mind playing tricks on him. Link didn’t think any more of it, but he did think it was unusual that there seemed to be more heart flowers than there were before.

By the time Link finally made his way through the earth temple, he was exhausted. He had barely rested after passing out from his burns for fear of missing Zelda again. He scanned the room and saw Ghirahim perched on the heard of the dragon skeleton that was suspended near the ceiling.

For some reason, the strange villain started to laugh.

“Hah! Just the person I wanted to see. Yet I still can’t find it in me to remember your name. No matter, I wanted someone to vent to anyway.”

While Link felt insulted by the demon lord’s dismissive tone, Ghirahim was finding it hard not to show how genuinely he wanted the attention of the chosen hero. In his frustration at both his plight to resurrect his master and his helplessness in the face of fate, he began to yell.

Link backed away, expecting the demon to attack him like he had in the previous temple. In Link’s mind, Ghirahim being angry – or “sick with anger,” whatever that meant – was code for try to kill Link just because. But that wasn’t what the demon lord wanted today. While it was true that dancing with blades was a great stress reliever, especially with such a handsome opponent, but the image of Link’s crumpled form in the shadow of craggy rocks was still fresh in his mind. So was the guilt and the urge to take care of the boy.

So Ghirahim couldn’t fight his sky child today. Regardless of his unhealthy anger and volatile moods. But he couldn’t let his master think he was soft on the boy. He was already nervous that his master had seen his previous lapse in character earlier that day. But now he _knew_ that Demise was watching his every move intently.

The images of what Demise wanted to do to the sweet sky child made Ghirahim feel ill.

The only solution Ghirahim could come up with was to summon another to take his place battling the sky child. He decided to call Scaldera, a formidable opponent so that Demise would not question his choice. However, Ghirahim knew that the glorified melted boulder would fall to the hero’s blade. After all, his soulmate was a talented swordsman (just not as talented as the great Lord Ghirahim of course).

“It is such a shame that I have to kill you, sky child. I feel that, in another life, we could have been great friends.”

After his parting message the demon lord teleported away to continue his quest to revive his master.

Ghirahim was right, and Link slayed the pyroclastic fiend. Once the demon lord saw that the hero was leaving to do his weird goddess quest stuff, Ghirahim also left. As he left the terribly hot structure the relief of fresh air wasn’t enough to calm his stormy emotions. His master was still in his mind, still projecting gruesome images of blood matted wheat colored hair and beautiful eyes screwed up in pain.

The demon lord stepped to the edge of one of the large mesas that surrounded death mountain, raked his hands down his face, and screamed. His screams matched the screams of his sky child in his head. He was shaking in anger, shaking with fear.

 Small, sentient mountain creatures hid in fear at the inhuman scream that echoed against the cliffs.

* * *

The next time Link saw the demon lord was in the fire sanctuary. Link was considerably less terrified now; this was his seventh temple after all. But, the chosen hero did feel considerably worse off emotionally than he had before.

The knowledge that he was nearly a pawn in Hylia’s quest rubbed him the wrong way. It was one thing to risk his life for his best friend Zelda, but knowing she was a reincarnation of the omniscient Hylia made him feel taken advantage of. This didn’t diminish his love for Zelda, that was still his oldest and most dear friend, but there was an upset feeling in his stomach when he thought about the whole universal scheme.

Ghirahim, much to Link’s surprise, was a welcome sight. They were both pawns of destiny.

Ghirahim had had quite a different roller-coaster of emotions. He had felt frustrated to no end when the spirit maiden had escaped from his clutches yet again, but the murals in the fire sanctuary had increased his hope. Reviving demise was still his utmost priority, and as her alerted his master of the good news he felt singing praise run along the black thread. Being dependent on his master for literally his whole life, Ghirahim lived for the praise. Before seeing the sunshine-boy, Demise’s praise was the only joy allowed to him. But the joy electrifying his body instantly turned to dread when he saw the sky-child enter the room.

His master didn’t notice yet; Demise was joyfully instructing Ghirahim to kill the goddess’ hero.

“It’s impressive that you’re here, sky child. After all, I told you last time we danced that you wouldn’t walk way with your pretty face intact.”

 The goddess’ hero didn’t heed his warning, however, and he drew his sword just as Ghirahim knew he would. The demon lord sighed; he knew that this time, he would have to fight the sky child. There was no getting around it. He was also aware of the additional power that his master was pushing through their bond.

 “I knew we would meet again though. And not only because of your infuriating stubbornness. We’re bound by a thread of fate after all.”

The sky child didn’t show any reaction that would lead Ghirahim to believe that he had been understood. The demon lord took a moment to strengthen his resolve to fight the sky child with all he had.

  _I’m sorry._

Ghirahim raised his arms and let Demise’s power flow through him. His skin cracked and shattered, leaving behind the cold metal of his blade form. He clenched his teeth in pain but hid it well.

  
“Aren’t they beautiful? My arms are stronger than the strongest armor.”

Link had to admit to himself, even in with the veins of metal crackling like lightning down his body and up from his limbs, the demon lord _was_ beautiful.

 hirahim was quite vain and gave himself a moment to revel in the attention he was getting. But all too soon, the moment was over, and Ghirahim sent a dagger flying, grazing the hero’s soft cheek.

“Tragic, to ruin such a face. But I did promise you wouldn’t walk out of here the same man.”

 Quickly, the clang of blade on blade became almost deafening. Even though Ghirahim was drawing on both the magic of himself and his master, Link was still holding his own. In fact, the chosen hero’s reflexes were so fast that he was able to knock back some of Ghirahim’s daggers.

Even as one of his own daggers buried itself in his left shoulder, Ghirahim had to suppress his pride at seeing the powerful soldier that this child from the sky had become.

Link had sustained quite a few cuts for himself, mostly on the right side of his body because he had been taught to lead with the side in the knights’ academy. However, the hero was still marching each of Ghirahim’s blows – reflecting the circles of floating daggers and countering each strike of the demon lord’s double blades.

Actually, now that Link was forced to switch to his left hand, he fought with renewed vigor, being naturally left-handed. Despite the fierceness of Ghirahim’s initial attacks, the demon lord seemed to be weakening faster than Link expected him too. Every time Ghirahim used more magic to teleport or to summon more daggers he seemed to become more pained, struggling to school his face into anger rather than pain.

Quickly assessing his opponent’s state, Link realized that something else had to be paining the demon. Even the dagger buried in his shoulder didn’t seem to be the cause of this lack of composure. It seemed to be coming from his left eye- the one slit by the lightning like shatter pattern of metal. Link felt a twinge of sympathy deep in his chest at seeing another grimace of pain on Ghirahim’s face when the master sword cut another slice into his chest. He had to finish this soon or they would both be cut to pieces.

Ghirahim barely raised his double blades to block another powerful slice of the master sword. Staggering, he tried to compose himself to receive another flurry of blows that never came. When the demon lord looked up at sunshine-boy, Link still had his sword raised, but he had stepped back.

The hero wasn’t going to kill him.

Ghirahim felt his master’s anger at his defeat, but at the same time some part of him also felt satisfied. It seemed fated that the only person to ever actually defeat him in battle would be this soft boy with the beaming smile. The demon lord smiled slightly.

“That’s enough sky child. Next time will be the last time we dance like this. Say goodbye to your adorable little friend, the spirit maiden.”

Ghirahim teleported away before Link could open his mouth to respond. He didn’t know if he could hide his feelings for the sky child from his master in his current weakened state.

Demise was so powerful that channeling his magic caused piercing pains in his mind as his master threatened to overpower Ghirahim’s own consciousness. Now the demon lord had a splitting headache, but when he closed his eyes all he could see was the sunshine-boy’s body dodging his daggers, lean and muscular as he handled the master sword like an extension of his arm. The sky child had grown into the hero of legend indeed. Ghirahim was even more enamored than before, and if these fights were all he was going to get, it would have to be enough.

In another life, it would be different.

* * *

 

Link retrieved the last sacred flame, finally helping Fi reach her full glory. As glad as he was to both help Fi and get closer to retrieving his best friend that he missed so dearly, the hero was conflicted as he flew back to skyloft.

Initially, Link’s image of Ghirahim had been simple: evil. The man was literally a demon who stole his best friend and was trying to end the world. He was cruel and arrogant, and wanted to kill everybody and end the worlds. Simple. Flat character.

But Link wasn’t so sure anymore. Despite all of his cruel words, the demon lord wasn’t cruel. After the vicious power that Ghirahim had shown today, Link knew the demon lord had held back in their first fight.

But why?

Link couldn’t put the pieces together. But the image of Ghirahim’s sad eyes and his teeth gritted in pain stayed with the hero.

“Fi?”

 “Yes Master?”

“Do you have any information on Ghirahim?”

Fi didn’t answer immediately. Then she started to list off basic information that wasn’t helpful. Link began to zone out, but Fi caught his attention again.

“Actually, I do have some additional information.”

Link waited for her to elaborate with bated breath.

“On death mountain, when you passed out from your burns, the demon Ghirahim healed your wounds and replenished your water storage.”

 Link eyes widened in shock. “But why? Did he say anything to you, Fi?”

 “I do not know, master.”

Fi’s answer had done the opposite of what he had wanted it to. Link went to sleep that night in the Knights’ Academy with more questions than ever before.

That night was the first time Link had remembered his dreams in a long time. It was the first time in an even longer time that he didn’t dream about having Zelda back in his life. Another anomaly was that it wasn’t a bad dream.

But, when the dream started, Link thought it would be a nightmare.

He was in a flowering clearing in the forest. The forest was sunny and peaceful, but suddenly Link realized that he wasn’t alone. The demon lord Ghirahim stalked towards Link like a cat playing with its pray. Link was motionless, afraid to move. Petrified.

Maybe if he willed hard enough this dream would pass him by.

But that wasn’t the case. The tall man wrapped an arm across Link’s chest from behind, his arms so long that he could comfortably cross the hero’s entire frame.

“Sky child…”

The demon lord breathed against Link’s sensitive neck, causing the hero to shiver. For some reason, all the fear that had been coursing through his body evaporated and was replaced by an electric excitement.

“I knew we would meet again.”

Link gasped in surprise as suddenly the arm around him tightened. The demon lord picked the hero up like he was as light as a scarecrow. Before Link could free himself, he was manhandled again, suddenly facing the demon lord. Still being held in the air, Link squirmed but quickly gave up as Ghirahim started to laugh.

“What are you doing to me?”

Link’s voice was high pitched and flustered and didn’t sound nearly as intimidating as he intended it to be.

Instead of answering the helpless boy, the demon lord snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Link found himself pinned against a tree, still above the ground. Ghirahim adjusted the sky child, slipping an arm under his thighs to better hold him against the rough wood of the tree.

Even before Ghirahim’s lips met Link’s the hero’s eyes were slipping closed. His body felt like it was buzzing, every fiber of his being wanted to be closer to the other man. The demon lord’s lips were soft and warm even with the creamy white lipstick. Link moaned very softly, and Ghirahim used this moment of weakness to slip his very long, very nimble tongue through Link’s lips to brush over his teeth. The demon lord kissed like magic, his lips hungry and enticing, and Link felt himself shaking from the emotion of it all.

Link soon pulled back because he wanted to look into Ghirahim’s eyes, wanting to ask a million things but not knowing how. But as soon as the hero was far enough away from the demon lord’s face, Ghirahim put him down on the forest floor.

Link instinctively grabbed onto the sleeve of Ghirahim’s jumpsuit, not wanting him to leave without getting some kind of answer. Somewhere in his subconscious he knew that the man in front of him was his enemy, but Link was inexplicably drawn to Ghirahim.

But Ghirahim turned away and snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was gone.

Link woke up very, very confused. Part of him felt disgusted and guilty; this man had kidnapped with Zelda and Link had been striving to defeat him and save the world. He didn’t have time to make out with him in his dreams. But at the same time, Link could not deny the hardness in his boxers, or the ache in his chest when he thought about white hair and soft, pale skin. It was before dawn but Link new that the dream had worked him up too much to go back to sleep immediately, so he resigned himself to quickly taking care of himself.

As the hero stroked himself, he tried to think of _anything_ but the way the demon lord had purred the words “ _sky child.”_ But suddenly all that he could think of the way those words made him shiver.

No joy came with Link’s orgasm, all that he wanted now was those soft lips to caress his body and those same strong arms to hold him again. The hero cleaned himself up with a tissue from the box by his bed, emotionally drained and confused. As he went back to sleep, Link knew that his relationship with the demon lord Ghirahim was much more complicated than he had thought just this morning.

* * *

Ghirahim had almost succeeded in his quest to revive his master. He had been working towards the freedom of Demise for over a thousand years, but now he hesitated. His beautiful sky child stood before him with such strength and determination that, for the first time, he looked like the hero of legend. The sky child had beat his way down the slope faster than Ghirahim had expected him to. Even the fence of the demon lord’s golden magic didn’t slow the hero down enough. The ritual was not complete yet, the spirit maiden hadn’t been consumed by his master yet.

Overwhelmed by the power Demise was sending through him and desperate, Ghirahim allowed his master to transform his body into its most powerful form. The demon lord lifted his arms in front of his face and let his skin splinter and become replaced by obsidian-black, marble skin.

Ghirahim waned to treasure this last fight with his soulmate. The had both reached their full power; they had spiraled around each other, but the tension in their red thread had finally smashed them together. He just wished that this meeting could happen in different circumstances. His soulmate was just so beautiful – Ghirahim wanted to run away from destiny and take Link somewhere far away.

_You deserve so much more._

Link started as the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. Looking down, the hero realized that Ghirahim had created five different magical platforms, all of which were rising into the air rapidly. Through the glowing runes in the air, Link could still see Zelda suspended in the air – the ritual slowed as Ghirahim directed some of his magic to focus on Link.

As Link looked back up at his opponent the dream from skyloft came into his mind. Ghirahim’s skin had been replaced by glossy black obsidian- a diamond shaped black stone pulsed with magic in the middle of his chest. Seeing the same dark eyes from the forest in his dream made Link momentarily loose his resolve, again feeling trapped in the goddesses’ plan.

But another glance at Zelda strengthened made him get over it. He had to save her, goddesses or not. He would fight Ghirahim, and he would win. He would seal away this demon and Zelda would be safe. And then maybe Link would be able to know the beautiful demon lord with the sad eyes – the same sad eyes that he looked at Link with before charging towards him with new strength and accuracy.

The clash of steel on steel echoed from the sides of the spiraling pit, blades darting through the fray to glace off marble skin and to cut through clothing and skin. Link quickly realized that his sword wasn’t penetrating Ghirahim’s reinforced skin fast enough. He had to find a quicker solution to save Zelda before the ritual was complete.

As the demon lord came at him with his swords in an X-configuration, Link blocked with his sword horizontal and shoved back as hard as he could, trying to prevent those blades from cutting off his head. But it worked. Ghirahim was knocked back and fell down a level. Link jumped down after the demon lord, realizing that this was the way he would have to get to Zelda.

The fighting was vicious. Ghirahim and Link fought like they were two halves of the same swordsman, each blow having an equally strong parry or block. But the demon lord’s resolve wasn’t as strong as Link’s was. He loved his master, but his emotions had gone wild – Demise’s magic made his body buzz painfully; the splitting headache it caused threatened to overwhelm him. And really, truly, Ghirahim did not want to hurt the blond man in front of him anymore. Even the exhilaration from their dangerous tango couldn’t drown out the sight of Link’s sapphire blue eyes.

Ghirahim dully noted his master’s rage at his weakness – Demise had noticed his affection for the sky child. But it was too late, the hero had already won. Even as he fell backwards, a rush of pride coursed through Ghirahim’s body.

Link shoved the demon lord off the last platform, bracing himself as he too jumped to the ground. He ran to Zelda, but he was too late. Bright light surrounded their figures as Demise finished consuming Zelda’s energy. Ghirahim and Link both stopped where they were, barely ten feet apart, and watched as a massive figure stood from the ground. Demise was at least thirty feet tall, his hair rippling and glowing like fire. The beast examined his hands. He looked towards Ghirahim and pointed.

Confused, Link looked back at the demon lord and realized he was visibly trembling. Ghirahim was in intense pain, the power coursing through his body was becoming too much. The diamond on his chest, his life source, the anchor for his spirit, was cracked now. The man started to levitate, and before Ghirahim’s eyes were locked onto his master again the demon lord made eye contact with the hero of legend. Link barely had time to register the scared, apologetic waver in his face before Ghirahim convulsed and rose faster. It seemed like he was being drawn up by a rope originating in his chest.

Suddenly, a giant black-steel sword breached Ghirahim’s skin. Link watched, paralyzed, as the demon lord screamed in agony.

_A sword spirit?_

Suddenly it all made sense. The metal like skin, the ability to seemingly disappear, the diamond shaped gem in his chest. But never had Link heard even a spirit scream the way Ghirahim was now howling as the blade emerged from the gem in his chest.

Link’s heart felt like it was being constricted in horror at the sound of the screams, but Demise didn’t seem to care - he grasped one of his enormous hands around the hilt of the sword and pulled. If the slow emergence of the blade from his chest was painful, his master ripping his sword from Ghirahim’s chest was unbearable – all the demon lord could think of was the pain. Ghirahim was unaware of the screams his lungs were admitting, but Link was not.

The hero of the goddess was horrified by this display of cruelty. He would never treat Fi that way, and she seemed to not even feel pain. Ghirahim was vicious, he had kidnapped Link’s best friend, but he wasn’t cruel, and he most certainly didn’t deserve this. Link was still reeling after Demise had left for the final battlefield. The hero of legend was shaken, cut up, and exhausted. But he didn’t think twice before jumping into the portal after Demise.

_I’m coming, Zelda._

* * *

 

When Link staggered through the Gate of Time, he was immediately greeted by a crushing hug from Zelda. And Groose? The red head was sniveling, obviously overwhelmed by the scope of what Link had saved them from. Link allowed himself a smile, happy to have his best friend back in his arms. But his mind was far from quiet

Demise’s words had shaken him. As much as Link didn’t like to think of himself as a pawn of the goddesses, he would take it over Demise’s curse any day. Knowing that he would be reincarnated countless times to go through the same horrible fight he just endured was definitely less than comforting.

But as Link stepped back from Zelda and tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, he felt somewhat liberated. Now that he was bound to the three, Hylia, and the war with Demise for the rest of eternity, he felt like the goddesses owed him at least this lifetime of peace. He had gone though so much already, but suddenly the responsibility for at least this lifetime seemed a little lighter.

Link’s soul had lost its freedom, now forever locked to serve the goddesses. But the Link from skyloft decided that he was going to take control of his own life. He thought the goddesses owed him quite a few forgivenesses. And there was one loose-end that he knew would haunt him for the rest of his life.

When Demise’s body had died his sword had shattered into thousands of tiny shards, and Link assumed that the spirit residing in it had perished as well. But as the hero stood in front of the Gate and focused, he realized that the feeling of Ghirahim’s magic was still in the air of this place. The sight of the sword spirit’s sad eyes had not left him.

“Zelda, I need you to trust me. There’s still something I need to do.”

The goddess girl nodded, of course she trusted him.

Link turned and ran to a pile of rubble that emanated the same magic that he had been feeling in the air and began to shift boulders. Groose and Zelda looked on in confusion as the hero began to desperately dig through the rubble that the earlier ritual had created in the temple.

Moving another enormous bolder, Link let out the breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. Seemingly protected from the worst of the weight, Ghirahim lay there buried under an avalanche of gravel and dust. His gem was shattered, deep cracks seeping crimson blood, but it still pulsed slowly with life energy. Link’s heart was in his throat, choking him with worry as he pulled the taller man’s torso into his lap. He was vaguely aware of the way Zelda was looking at him, but he didn’t care, all his attention was on the pained expression on Ghirahim’s face. Link thought back to the way the sword spirit had screamed in the sealed grounds and shuddered.

Quickly, Link drew a bottle out of on of his pouches, its contents twinkling like a trapped star. The hero carefully tipped the fairy he had been saving out into his palm. The tiny figure looked confused – the battle was over, why did the hero need her? Link lifted her up to his eye level and spoke softly.

“Do you think you could help him?”

The tiny fairy nodded, and Link lowered her to Ghirahim’s chest. She put her delicate hands against the pulsating gem. The fairy couldn’t fully heal the damage that ha been done to the sword spirit, the damage went too far into the gem, but she was able to at least stop the bleeding and restore a little color to Ghirahim’s already pale skin.

Link thanked the fairy as she flew away and turned his attention back to the injured spirit in his lap. The man was stirring slightly, but Link was sad to see that consciousness seemed to bring more pain to the fallen demon lord.

“Ghirahim?” Link whispered softly, and while the demon lord didn’t open his eyes or respond, the change in his expression indicated that he had heard Link’s words.

“Are you strong enough to get out of here?”

The demon lord nodded, his movements calculated and pained.

“Will you recover?”

Ghirahim’s answer came out barely a whisper.

“With time, sky child.”

Link smiled to himself at hearing the once unwelcome nickname. At least some things stayed the same.

“Then take your time.”

Link felt slender fingers gently squeezed his own, seemingly in gratitude. They fell to the side, and the hero felt the spirit snap weakly. The weight on his thighs disappeared, and Ghirahim was gone.

Link stood up from the rubble and let out a deep exhale, he too needed time.

As he walked back to his childhood companions, Groose looked like he was going to explode with unasked questions. Zelda, however, did not ask anything, merely taking Link’s hand in her own as they walked onto the surface together for the first time.

Zelda, possessing powerful magic like Ghirahim, could see the red thread that had drawn Link to the demon lord Ghirahim. She had her own grudges and fears related to the man who had tried to revive Demise, but Zelda trusted Link as both her best friend and her hero. If Link loved this spirit then she would support him.

* * *

Link was restless back in skyloft. It had been three months since his battle with Demise. All that remained of his ordeal on the surface were scars and memories – and the dreams. While healed physically, Link found himself unable to settle down. He dreamed about every trial he had gone through, every fight and trip to the sacred realm. He woke up drenched in sweat and shaking more nights than not.

But even as the nightmares decreased in frequency, and Zelda used her magic to make him potions that allowed him restful sleep, Link struggled to find peace in the sameness of skyloft.

There was still a deep ache in his chest, a sadness and apathy that Link couldn’t quite shake. He still shrank in fear sometimes when his fellow Skyloftians would call out to him - imagining monsters instead of friendly faces.

And skyloft, like Link, had changed, Zelda had been drawing up plans for their move to the surface. The people of skyloft were getting cramped, and she believed that they were meant to return one day to where they had come from. Scouts would be sent out in two months, but Link had not been asked to lead them.

Months ago, Link had wanted to stay in the glory of their airborne home. He had not wanted to return to the surface just yet and had told Zelda so. But not he wasn’t sure. He was restless and somehow missed the surface, despite the bad memories that came with it. He even missed the small things about the surface, like the thunderstorms and the giant mushrooms in Faron Woods.

Finding himself unable to fall asleep, Link craved the cool, night air. He dressed quickly and snuck out of the Knight’s academy and walked to the edge of the island. Looking down at the clouds, Link noticed that they had turned dark over Faron woods. Suddenly, Link felt himself drawn to those clouds. As homesick as he had been on the surface, now the land beneath him seemed to call to him.  

Quickly, Link jumped off one of the diving platforms, calling for his bird. Birds would fly at night now that evil had been eliminated from the sky, and for this Link was grateful. Nighttime flights often helped Link still his racing mind.

He touched down on the forest floor quickly, his feet sinking into lush grass and soft soil. As he walked directionlessly through the woods, Link noticed the quiet that had over taken the surface now that Demise’s monsters had been sealed along with their master. The quiet was not silent, it was not ominous – instead, it was peaceful, like the forest was sleeping.

But it wasn’t the quiet or the soil that Link had been drawn to. It was the still warm autumn rain the slicked Link’s unruly hair to his forehead. It did not rain like this in skyloft, it barely rained at all. The goddess had blessed them with the eternal spring on the main island; it supplied them with all the water they needed. But Link realized he craved the rain, the smell of the forest – he missed the surface.

“Looks like the sky child is going to become a swamp child, standing around in the rain like this.”

The words were barely audible over the sound of the rain. Link tensed for a moment, and then relaxed.

He had missed _him_ too.

“We’re both out tonight, does that make you a swamp lord?”

Link’s voice was guarded, but it held no anger or fear. As he turned around, he caught side of Ghirahim, sheltered slightly under a low bow of leaves. The man was dressed in the same strange garb he always wore. His skin had lost its fractures of obsidian, the only thing that showed the ordeal they both had experience was the gem still prominent on Ghirahim’s chest. Small, hair line cracks had repaired themselves, but there were still several crevasses in the crystal. But, despite the web-like network of fissures, the gem’s pulses were strong again.

As they locked eyes for the first time in months, Ghirahim looked almost shy – his eyes apprehensive and hopeful. He stood proud and beautiful, even in his still battered state. Link took a step forward, again drawn to those dark eyes. 

“I didn’t think you would come back.”

The demon lord looked almost betrayed, which confused Link. What did he mean? Back to the surface? Of course, he would come back. It had only been a few months anyway. But as he remembered Ghirahim’s words - _we’re connected by a red thread of fate, sky child_ – realization dawned upon Link.

“Why didn’t you let me die”

Ghirahim barked his question, hostility clear in his voice. The demon lord had asked himself that same question every day for three months, waiting for some kind of sign.

“I didn’t kill you three months ago because I thought you were like me.”

They were close now, Link taking small steps forward as he spoke. If he had tried, he could’ve grabbed Ghirahim’s slender hands if he reached for them

“How do you mean?”

Ghirahim was holding his breath, hope blazon across his face.

“Pawns in this war, just on opposite sides.”

The demon lord took his first step closer to Link, closing the distance with his long legs. They were so close now, their chest barely inches apart, their faces close.

“I’ve thought for a long time that, in another life, we could be good friends.”

Link trailed off, looking up into Ghirahim’s eyes – apprehensive even as his body seemed to buzz with anticipation. The sword spirit was silent; he seemed to be waiting for something. The rain continued to fall around them. He was so close that Link could kiss him. Now that was a distracting thought.

“But now… I think we could find happiness in this life instead.”

It felt like they were the only two people in the world; the rain continued to wash over the two men as Ghirahim leaned down. Link’s eyes were already closed when Ghirahim’s lips found his own. Their shoes were soaked through and the rain water ran into their mouths, but it was perfect. This moment wasn’t at all like Link’s dream, but it was somehow better.

Their bodies complimented each other, Ghirahim’s tall frame curving down to meet Link’s shorter one. The hero kissed awkwardly at first, still inexperienced even though it had already been eight months since his nineteenth birthday, but Ghirahim was happy to guide his sunshine-boy. Even Link’s lips were like the sun, soft in their warmth and fullness. The demon lord kissed him like a starving man, deprived for so long and now given the sweetest fruit imaginable.

Ghirahim wished desperately for the sky child as he stared at the ceiling, waiting for his strength to return. He had missed him with his whole being. He had come as soon as he sensed the hero’s return to the surface, admiring for a moment the beauty of the soaked figure, his muscle outlined by his sodden white shirt. But now, finally, Ghirahim had been permitted to touch the beautiful boy that he longed for, and it was intoxicating. They kissed more heavily, and Ghirahim was overwhelmed with a desire to hold the sky child, to touch him, to please him.

Link stumbled a bit as he was pushed against a tree, but strong arms caught him and steadied him. The hand that pinned his wrists above his head was gentle, careful not to hurt him. The hero parted his lips without convincing when he felt Ghirahim’s tongue brush against them. The skill with which the spirit kissed overwhelmed Link, absorbing every bit of his attention. He almost whined when the contact was taken away – but Ghirahim quickly moved to Link’s prominent jaw, and then his neck. There he kissed and licked carefully, leaving a red mark when was finished.

Ghirahim was himself worked up at finally getting to kiss his soulmate, but Link looked utterally undone – his hair was soaked and his face flush, the sudden cloth of his linen pants not leaving much to the imagination. But seeing his beauty from the sky a mess like this only made Ghirahim want to please him more. Tonight wasn’t about him, but it was exactly what the demon lord wanted. Ghirahim would take care of his soulmate.

He nipped down Link’s soaked, and pretty much translucent, shirt – lingering on a wet, pink nipple. His sky child gasped, and Ghirahim smirked, proud of his influence over Link. He continued down Link’s torso, kissing and sucking, but he paused when he got to the dip of the sky child’s hip bones, looking up at Link for permission.

The goddesses’ hero was willing. Oh, he was more than willing. The attention Ghirahim had been giving him felt like bursts of energy, each kiss working him up more. When he saw the spirit look up from between his legs, his eyes a question, Link couldn’t accept his offer fast enough.

“Ghirahim, please.”

Link’s words were needy – desperate – and they ignited a fire in Ghirahim. Not needing further encouragement, the sword spirit freed Link’s erection from his now form-fitting linen pants. The hero waited, not quite daring to breathe, and then gasped in pleasure. Ghirahim’s mouth around his cock was almost overwhelming, that cavern so warm and wet that it immediately became all that he could think about.

Link came quickly, Ghirahim’s tongue not just long but also sinfully nimble, bringing him to climax with a shout and a tremble. All the tension was suddenly removed from his body; he felt weak and vulnerable, but happy.

Ghirahim licked his lips and stood back up, taking his wobbly-kneed sky child into his arms and resting his face in soaked blond hair. The demon lord was content; the sunshine-boy was soft and warm, and fit perfectly in Ghirahim’s arms. Even though he was still hard, Ghirahim felt like his tension had been released too.

He wasn’t ever sure, but Link thought some of the drops that fell on his head were warmer than the others. He said nothing though, for all too soon the demon lord drew away.

“Hold onto my arm, you’ll catch cold out here.”

Link grasped Ghirahim’s are with both hands, his right hand holding the demon lord’s slender fingers tightly. Ghirahim gave Link’s smaller hand a quick squeeze and teleported them to his own bedroom.

The boy looked around in wonder at the dark wood beams of the ceiling and fold and red draped bed. The demon lord felt a flutter of excitement in his chest at having his soulmate in his home, but he quickly turned his attention to finding Link a dry set of clothes.

Finding a large shirt and a pair of soft trousers, the demon lord handed them to Link. Letting the hero change, Ghirahim merely snapped his fingers to make his white jumpsuit disappear and soft shorts appear as to not make the hero uncomfortable. He slid into his bed and waited for the hero to join him.

Link, still not quite sure what was expected of him, lingered awkwardly at the edge of the silk draped bed. However, as Ghirahim opened his arms welcomingly, Link’s fear evaporated.

The hero slept that night better than he had since Zelda had left skyloft; he slept happily curled into Ghirahim’s side.

Ghirahim laid awake after Link had fallen asleep, overwhelmed with emotions. The sunshine-boy looked so sweet, swamped in his shirt, and Ghirahim wanted to dance and sing out of joy.

Link curled into Ghirahim’s body a little closer, and with a blissful smile the spirit wrapped his arm around his beloved.

He had been very lonely, trapped in his house as he recovered. For several weeks it was all Ghirahim could do to will himself to heal faster, eyes screwed up against the pain. Initially, he had fallen into despair. His master was dead, his purpose gone. But there was one thing that kept Ghirahim going. Link had saved him.

The feeling of being cradled in the sky child’s lap had stayed with him; it had given him hope for a new purpose. He still didn’t know what exactly this was, or what their future would hold, but Ghirahim’s heart was full as he fell asleep. His last thought before he slept was that it had all been worth it if he got to hold his beautiful sunshine-boy.

When Link returned to skyloft the next morning he kissed Ghirahim goodbye, reassuring the anxious spirit that he would come back soon. Link felt more at peace.

It wasn’t magic; Link still remembered the horrors he had been through, and the same aching restlessness still ran through his bones.

And he had caught a cold.

But now, it didn’t hurt when Link smiled. He didn’t feel like running when people in Skyloft tried to talk to him. The biggest change Link felt after that night was now he had a companion through thick ad thin, someone to hold him when the nightmares grew too much. There was hope in his heart now, and as the people of skyloft began to move back to the surface, Link really started to believe his own words.

_Happiness in this life._

 


End file.
